A flagship project

Felix Platter Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

By summer 2018, there will be a new hospital for geriatric medicine on the Felix Platter site in Basel. With the realization of the project from consortium "ARGE HandinHand", which won the two-stage overall performance competition, the hospital should "reach new heights", in the words of the hospital management team. The project, which will cost 200 million francs, is also one of the first BIM projects in Switzerland.

The challenge:

A financially sustainable new hospital building that enables optimal processes, generates cost-effective operating and maintenance costs, is architecturally outstanding, and shows potential for expansion within the perimeter of the project.

The solution:

In the two-stage overall performance competition for the new hospital building in Basel, BAM Swiss and Marti Holding AG, together with lead architects wörner traxler richter, in collaboration with Holzer Kobler Architekturen, has met the specifications defined by the client for project implementation with BIM with the aid of BIM software Allplan...

Learning in a playful manner behind colorful walls

Evangelische Grundschule Karlsruhe, Germany

The construction project of the school foundation of the Protestant Church in Baden consists of two clearly defined, two-story individual buildings (elementary school and sports hall), grouped around a shared courtyard. At the same time, this central schoolyard is the entrance to all areas and creates a concise and highly recognizable outdoor area.

The challenge:

A unique learning concept also often places specific requirements on the structure of a school building. The buildings should be friendly and inviting without looking "childish".

The solution:

"The entire project was developed three-dimensionally in Allplan. We were able to review important architectural decisions on...

Vertical gardens – Fresh air for the office

Renovation of the Microsoft Headquarters in Vienna, Austria

Microsoft has completely redesigned its headquarters in Vienna and has also commissioned the company Vertical Magic Garden to install vertical gardens.

The challenge:

The concept for redesigning the company headquarters aims to turn the place of work into a meeting point and communication center. A large, vertical garden made of natural plants forms the background. Combined with an LED wall behind the open reception desk, the link between nature and technology is picked out as a central theme.

The solution:

"One of the reasons we use Allplan Architecture is that it is very easy to implement the plans for non-standard shapes – such as the curved wall of plants – using ...

Riverside festivities

Festhalle Neckartailfingen, Germany

The idyllic surroundings and riverside setting played a crucial role in the design of the new festival hall in Neckartailfingen.A defining element of this building is the roof construction, architecturally reflecting the interwining branches of the nearby tree-lined Neckarallee. In addition to the roof, the extensive use of glass in the hall and foyer is another important design feature. They offer visitors an uninterrupted view of the natural surroundings.

The challenge:

The festival hall itself is divided into two parts: The back-of-house area with all the necessary facilities for the stage, including the multi-purpose room; and the open area of the event room and all the facilities for visitors.

The solution:

"The Allplan BIM solution made for trouble-free collaboration with our specialist planners...

A building for children

La Maison Kangourou, France

What do an architecture firm and a nursery school have in common? Easy: they share the same vision! To create daycare facilities especially for children. When they set up their architecture firm Archipel41 in 2001, Managing Directors Laurent Dachet, Marco Ferrer, Carlos Vasconcelos, and Christophe Alamargot realized how difficult it was for their employees to find daycare facilities near their workplace.

The challenge:

The planners refer to their construction projects for children as ′′places to live.′′ This approach is an attempt to harmonize architecture and technology with an implementation that is suitable for children. It requires a well thought out, obstacle-free planning process, and powerful software.

The solution:

From initial designs to completion, they worked in the intelligent Allplan building model. With Allplan they are able to centrally record all important planning data throughout the entire planning and...

Disciplined building with poetry

Offenbach Hospital, Germany

The office of "wörner traxler richter" as one of the largest architectural offices in Germany, can look back on a 40-year tradition of planning and realization of buildings to urban concepts and masterplans. During this time, it has specialized in health and university buildings and social housing. WTR relies on the strengths of the Allplan BIM software for all phases of its projects.

The challenge:

In addition to the limited budget for such a complex project, there was also an extraordinarily large number of other constraints to take into account. These included the small construction site and its situation within the town plan. The building was developed on an individual basis for the city of Offenbach, its residents, and the specific site where it was erected. It is the architectural response to a long list of needs and requirements of all three.

The solution:

Linking the new building in a visually harmonious way to the historic building, which was to be retained, was another task that had to be solved in a modern style and with one eye on the available budget. This was achieved with the specia...

Heading into the future

Vollack Culture and creative park, Karlsruhe

The largest office building of Baden-Württemberg using passive building standards is on the grounds of the Alter Schlachthof ("old slaughterhouse") in Karlsruhe's Culture and Creative Park. Vollack, the Karlsruhe specialists in advanced office and industrial buildings, is responsible for the project development, planning, and execution.

The challenge:

When implementing passive building standards, a holistic and integral approach to planning, as well as the smooth interplay of building and housing technology are deciding factors in correctly enacting Vollack′s own 4-phase method for building: development, planning, construction, and conservation of value.

The solution:

From initial designs to completion, the Karlsruhe specialists worked in the intelligent Allplan building model. Here they were able to ...

Architecture in action

Wellendingen Fire Station, Germany

Functionality and design are what make the new fire station in Wellendingen stand out. This modern building is part of a village regeneration project. The existing fire station building in the center of the village had become too small and was demolished. A new building was erected on the edge of the village along the main thoroughfare.

The challenge:

The challenge for md2. architects was to design a building that was distinctive, yet immediately recognizable to the public. A contemporary and functional building has emerged, which fits in both architecturally and artistically with the local environment.

The solution:

From the first design phase to completion, the designers worked in the intelligent Allplan building model. Here they were able to ...

Combining functional and individual concepts

New construction of a production hall with an adjoining administrative building in Dinslaken, Germany

The new construction of a production hall with a connected administrative building for Hesotec in Dinslaken represents both the core business – commercial construction – and the individual and creative solutions developed by Brüninghoff, the hall construction specialists. A completely new operational site combining functionality and individuality was the result.

The challenge:

The project is distinguished by the contrasting combination of modern hall construction and a seemingly offset administrative building acting as ′′head′′ of the ensemble. The distinctive feature of the administrative building is two staggered levels. The upper floor called for an overhang of a meter in both directions, which led to particular challenges in construction and the final planning.

The solution:

Brüninghoff was able to meet these challenges using detailed construction planning regarding the overhang. The exact location and size of the facade panels in connection with the large window elements were planned in multiple facades and sectional views and prepared for execution.

Clear the stage!

Sechseläutenplatz Zürich, Switzerland

Complex construction projects need time. Particularly when they involve a famous city location like Zürich's Sechseläutenplatz. The planning and construction of the "Opernhaus, Parkhaus Opéra und Sechseläutenplatz," project took 14 years and was finally completed and the square officially inaugurated in spring 2014. The first step, critical to the redevelopment of the square, was moving the parking lots from their above ground location...

The challenge:

The planners designed this space with lots of creativity, many years experience and using a high-performance architectural software. They relied on Allplan as a dependable drawing tool from initial design through to project completion. Not an easy undertaking bearing in mind the complexity of the project.

The solution:

Using the building structure in Allplan with its drawing files and layers means that even huge amounts of data can be safely handled, plans clearly presented, and individual...